Students In CSCU System May Pay 4.8 Percent More In Tuition And Fees Next Year

Students at state universities and community colleges likely to pay 4.8% more in tuition next year

Students at the state's community colleges and regional state universities will pay 4.8 percent more in tuition and fees next fall if the Board of Regents for Higher Education approves a proposal prepared by regents staff.

Sarah Greco, a student representative on the board of regents who has fought consistently against tuition increases, said of the proposal: "Of course, students never want to see any tuition increase at all."

But she said "considering early conversations and things we had heard" about the state's budget crunch, "This proposal is a lot friendlier to students than what it could have been. I think the system office has done a lot of work to figure out every alternative to raising tuition."

Gregory W. Gray, president of the regents, which oversees the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system, had pledged to try to maintain a 2 percent cap on tuition increases, but he said Wednesday, "the unfortunate reality is that a 2 percent tuition hike will not allow us to get through [next year] fiscally."

Gray said the CSCU system, which includes 12 community colleges, four regional state universities and the state's on-line Charter Oak State College, has a $48.6 million budget gap for next year and so regents officials have had to take steps to raise revenues and cut costs.

"We ran dozens and dozens of scenarios," Gray said in an attempt to keep the burden off students as much as possible.

"We feel that 4.8 percent, although a lot, is somewhat modest," Gray said.

The Board of Regents' finance committee will consider the proposal Thursday and if approved, it will then go to the full Board of Regents for its consideration on Thursday, March 26.

If the hike is passed, students at the state's 12 Connecticut community colleges would pay an average of $186 more next year. Commuters at the state's four regional universities — Central, Southern, Eastern and Western — would pay an average of $440 more next year. And, students at Charter Oak would pay an average of $321 more.

The proposed increase in tuition and fees would bring in $21.6 million — closing 44 percent of the budget gap.

Other budget-cutting tactics include a hiring freeze that was implemented earlier this month and Gray said that he and his staff will be talking with college and university presidents in an effort to find more ways to reduce costs.

Gray said the Board of Regents has made a commitment to be "all about access and affordability," as demonstrated by the 2 percent tuition increase that was in place for the current academic year. "We did a good job of sticking with that budget" Gray said, "recognizing that during the year we had almost $6 million in rescissions …As a system, we're very close to breaking even."

However, Gray said the system was not "anticipating the draconian cuts we are receiving this year in the governor's budget."

The tuition proposal prepared for Thursday's meeting says "The magnitude of the budget gap puts us in a difficult position with no easy choices."

The proposed tuition and fee increase is based on a model that assumes flat enrollment, the documents note. That means that if the downward enrollment trend continues — enrollment was down about 1.3 percent this year — that could worsen the budget gap. A decline of one to two percent in enrollment could add $4 to $8 million in "in additional cost challenges," the documents say.

"We are continuing to explore every possible means of generating additional revenue from other sources (grants, etc), and will continue to advocate throughout this legislative session for provision of some or all of the proposed $48.6 million gap," the proposal says.

Greco said she's not sure whether she'll vote for or against the proposed tuition hike. However, she said, she is organizing students, faculty and staff in a "demonstration of support" for the CSCU system at Capital Community Community College on March 26, following the Board of Regents meeting that morning.

"Connecticut is in a difficult situation financially," Greco said. "While I realize it may be unrealistic to ask the state to completely restore the budget to the board, I'm going to continue to ask for that. "

She said participants in the demonstration will not only ask legislators to increase funding for CSCU for the coming academic year, but also ask for a redirection in the recent downward trend of state appropriations for higher education.

Vijay Nair, who is president of the Connecticut State University-Americian Association of University Professors, said he thinks the proposed tution increase would be "really hard on the students. I don't think they can keep taxing the students for an obligation the state has."